Cacophonic Neighbors

It all started with some taps on the roof and the whirring of the drill in the upstairs flat.

We had spent one year in harmony with all our upstairs and downstairs flat occupants when our quiet neighbors vacated the flat above and went forward in their own quest to excellence. We were friendly, had visited each other’s houses once and greeted each other with a ‘hi’ in the lift whenever we met. I did miss them but their absence did not stop the cog wheels of my life from moving. They had travelled a lot and so had I, so out of the twelve months, we must have occupied our respective houses for three months at a stretch. Nevertheless we shared a maid and I knew what was happening in their house and they would know what happened in mine!

Their absence was mourned by our maid in every conversation but life went on as quietly as before, for six months. Then just before the winter vacation I was informed that some new tenants had moved in, two unmarried sisters not in their first youth! They were “Directors” – so said my maid. I did not worry- what would two middle aged female bachelors do, anyway?

The sound of the taps grew a little louder over the week. I started seeing nuts and bolts on the ceiling and small hairline cracks appearing from nowhere! Then the deluge started, the balcony would be washed and all the water, following the law of gravity would fall into mine and I would have a short circuit in my mind and yell at the poor guards. It worked for some time; the washing was done stealthily during the afternoon when I had my nap!

Then came Friday! There was lot of activity- high heels tap tapping here, there and everywhere, lots of car parked outside the building and the blaring music began at seven in the evening. I thought indulgently – House warming party- shut all the doors (thankfully it was cool) and bore through all the drums, bass and altos! Put on the fan and ac full blast to drown out the noise and fell asleep.

It’s not “all’s well that ends well here”! The same thing happened next Friday but we were leaving on our vacation the next day so I did not bother to get too paranoid. After a long lovely vacation (I am sure you will forgive me for having forgotten the “sound blasting” neighbors) I returned to the humdrum of daily existence and soon a Friday came and with it our partying friend's out of tune songs! Then one more Friday and then we were given a reprieve of two weeks and then………

It was Tuesday, suddenly gushes of water fell outside the bathroom window but I ignored it. The moving of furniture started at about two in the afternoon. I did not pay much attention as it was a Tuesday. The day went on with the usual chores and being a cool night we had all the doors closed.

“Boom! Boom!” it started softly, but the tempo picked up, soon the whole house was vibrating with “musical noise”. It was eleven O’clock in the night! We went to bed but the clip clop of high heels coupled with furniture dragging and other strange noises made me feel that we were sleeping under a road on which horse carriages were being drawn (intermittent neighs of laughter and bellows of mirth punctured the night!)

It went from bad to worse! Normally a sound sleeper, I was wide awake and every time the beats beat the roof, my heart rate touched hundred! Irritation led to indignation to anger and then fury and I was at my wits end! I waited till twelve thirty but there was no easing of all the cacophony going on upstairs.

Furious I rang up the guard to tell them to stop it. He, poor thing, was apologetic and said he would inform them. It took another half an hour before the bass disappeared but the clip clops and the out of tune singing by varied male voices continued. It was two thirty in the night and the guys continued to sing at their worst- obviously drunk and inebriated.

The rule is, there can be no public noise after ten or eleven in the night. Even the pandals during Ganesh puja go silent but what about private houses? What rule is there for such nuisances where a few families or one family is affected?

Mumbai is no stranger to noise. We are bombarded throughout the day with noise from the traffic and construction work, the least anyone can do is to leave us in peace during the night! Once in a while to celebrate something is OK, we are indulgent but every weekend is a little too much! Lots of criminal intentions were going through my mind as I stomped about wide awake! Is this how crimes take shape?

Will someone advise me who to contact to stop such nuisance? I do understand that we cannot stop someone from doing whatever they want in their own house but there is something called social responsibility and I hope this stops before I go nuts and blast them both verbally and physically!

I miss my old neighbors now L. How sad that we cannot choose our neighbors!